Keeper of the Shrine
by Seullipen
Summary: [AU] Kagome Higurashi's imaginary friend as a child turns out to be not so imaginary. Youko/Kagome
1. Chapter 1

_Warning: Stalking, physical violence, and blatant overtones of Naraku being a manipulative creep and being abusive towards women (don't worry- I hate him too)._

 **Summary:** _{AU} Kagome Higurashi's imaginary friend as a child turns out to be not so imaginary. Youko/Kagome_

* * *

 **\- 15 Years Ago -**

 _"Gam'pa!" A little girl no older than five tugged insistently on the hem of her grandfather's sleeve, pointing towards the woods where the pretty animal had disappeared. "Gam'pa, look! Look!"_

 _Her grandfather followed the path of her chubby finger, frowning. "Look at what, Kagome?"_

 _The little girl's eyes were as wide and as filled with wonder as her smile was. "Doggy!"_

* * *

 ** _THE KEEPER OF THE SHRINE_**

 ** _01\. THE RED-EYED DEMON_**

 **\- Present Day -**

Kagome Higurashi pushed into corner cafe and felt the tension immediately go out of her shoulders, taking in the welcoming, bright atmosphere. _Sweetie Tooth Cafe_ was popular among the university students as it was conveniently located between the East and West campus. Large windows took up two entire sides of the first and second floor, books, house plants, and other knick knacks from her boss' travels on the third, and the bar filled with gleaming machines and canisters as well as the door leading to the storage room on the last. The insides were painted soft yellow and all of the furniture made of dark wood and shades of brown or green. It was familiar, crowded, and, most importantly, it was _safe_.

Her best friend grinned and waved from behind the cash register. "Hey, you're early! Did you get through the chapters yet, or..." Sango trailed off as she got a better look at her expression. "What's wrong?"

Kagome waited until she was behind the counter and had her back facing the windows before she answered. "I think there's someone following me."

"What? Where?" Sango immediately began to look over her shoulder. Kagome stopped her before she even realized her hand was moving.

"I don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they're getting to me," she said in a low voice, feeling somewhat silly now that she was trying to translate what her gut feeling were telling her into words. "I haven't actually seen anyone, just...I just can't shake the feeling that something's wrong."

Sango frowned at her, obviously restraining herself from turning a death glare towards the window. Sango had trained in several forms of martial arts since she was a preschooler and Kagome knew from experience that she wouldn't hesitate to put that knowledge to use when it came to protecting her friends. "All bets are off if he tries to follow you inside," she conceded, looking annoyed and concerned all at once. "How long?"

"Since my shift ended yesterday. I felt eyes on me, and.. " Kagome trailed off. She had been waiting at the crosswalk when all of sudden if felt like someone was breathing hard on the back of her neck, making her hair stand on end just as something cold and slimy had slid across her forearm. She had screamed, shaking it off her arm and whirled around to give some creep a piece of her mind, only to find herself standing alone on the curb. It sounded crazy even to her. But she had spent the better part of the past thirty-six hours on edge, constantly glancing over her shoulder and flinching at any sudden contact or loud noises.

"And?"

Kagome shook her head, pushing the disturbing thoughts away. "I went to lunch with Miroku after that, so we could get some studying for microbiology out of the way, but -"

Sango interrupted. "Wait. You met up with the monk? _Alone_?"

Kagome, despite how shaken up she was feeling, could barely suppress a grin when she saw the way her best friend had tensed and looked ready to raise hell on her behalf.

"He doesn't grope _me_ ," she teased. "He knows you'll kill him if he tries."

Sango rolled her eyes. "And yet he doesn't get the hint to stop groping _me_. Maybe you were right, maybe I hit him one too many times and knocked something important loose." She paused. "You don't think he'll make me pay for therapy, do you?"

Kagome giggled. "Pay? No, he would probably give you big, dopey eyes and convince you to come to all the sessions with him. Then, you know, suggest horizontal therapies are more effective."

Sango snorted, cheeks turning pink despite a fierce scowl. "He would say something like that," she mumbled irritably.

"Before you ask, it's not him. I could feel someone watching us throughout lunch - Even Miroku picked up on it. Said his 'monk senses' were tingling," she said with amused look. Miroku, despite being the biggest pervert that she had ever met and a completely unrepentant opportunist, was still her friend. He intuitively knew the unknown stalker had been getting to her, so he had tried to cheer her up by pressing his fingers in to his temples and overstraining his features as he muttered about disturbances in the force.

"So why didn't the monk walk you home yesterday, then?" Sango asked as she watched her clock in and wash her hands. She, too, knew Miroku was good guy and wasn't as bad as she sometimes made him out to be.

"He had work. He offered to call in sick," _and a few other choice offers, the pervert_ , but, choosing not to relay that information to the martial artist, continued, "but I told him not to worry. I booked it here today, though," she mumbled sheepishly. She wasn't tough like Sango, but she was no pushover either; this creep was just really getting to her. She _almost_ wished he would just show himself so she could confront what was scaring her so much and be done with it. Fighting against the unknown was far more intimidating than knowing exactly what she was up against.

Sango was biting her lip and looking torn. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay? I can study here and we can walk back to the dorms together after closing," she offered, concerned. Kagome forced herself to smile, trying to pretend that the offer wasn't tempting, waving her friend off.

"I'll be okay. You're not getting out of not-date with Miroku that easily. Besides," she said, glancing out the window behind her friend, "your ride's already here."

Sango didn't even have to look. She had already closed her eyes and was letting out a long breath, trying to hold on to her patience. "He's at least wearing clothes this time, right? And there's no banners?" Kagome didn't even bother holding back her laughter this time as her friend slowly turned around and saw Miroku waving from beyond the large windows with a big grin and invitingly holding his arms out with wiggling fingers when he caught her eye. Behind him was his very, _very_ uncool-looking pizza delivery bike.

"If he thinks I'm getting on that, he's crazy," Sango finally said around clenched teeth.

Kagome bit in to her lip hard, grinning. "Probably don't want to keep bringing that up," she reminded, bumping the other girl's shoulder. "You don't want to pay for his therapy, remember?"

"And here I was worried about you," Sango said dryly. Sango pulled off her apron and handed it over, collecting her windbreaker and textbooks before marching past the still-giggling Kagome and straight for the door. "Just remember it wasn't me if the monk goes missing," she warned over her shoulder. Kagome only laughed in reply, waving her off. Sango shoved the heavy door open, bell clanging, and Kagome could hear Miroku sing out her friend's name in two long drawn out, whining syllables and Sango demanding _My name is not a damn song, monk_ \- before the heavy door swung shut.

Kagome continued to watch them through the large window - as well as a few giggling customers - before Sango stomped past him at a quick pace, as if hoping to lose him, and Miroku hurrying to wheel his bike after her. _She's so far in denial. I almost feel bad for him,_ she giggled to herself. Sango wasn't in to 'smooth-talking pretty boys' - in those exact words - and Miroku was all that and _then some_.

But Miroku wouldn't be Miroku if he wasn't trying to sweet talk people into doing things and taking advantage of any and all opportunities; he was easy-going and charming, using it to hide the fact that he was a big softie who had been completely smitten with Sango since they met at their freshman orientation... and since she subsequently knocked him out cold for simultaneously groping her and asking her to bear his children.

And Sango, whose social skills quickly devolved to 'punch first, ask questions later' when put on the spot, obviously liked him too(he could still had full use of all of his extremities, after all), and yet the both of them were failing miserably at wooing each other. When they finally did get together, though, she had a feeling they would be together for good. _But until then_ , Kagome thought with a snicker, _those two are way more entertaining than anything on tv._

* * *

The cafe had a rush of customers from late afternoon until closing and it wasn't until Kagome was shrugging in to her jacket and her boss shooing her out the door that the feeling of being watched returned. It was past midnight and most of the shops in the area had already closed, their darkened faces eating up the light of the still congested traffic rumbling past.

She took a deep breath and forced it out slowly. She flinched when someone bumped shoulders with her on the crowded sidewalk, the sharp ridges of the keys digging in to her palm as she thrust her hands in to her pockets. _All I have to do is scream,_ she assured herself, following the flow of people across the intersections towards the dormitories.

She counted the remaining blocks as she went, walking fast and eyes alert, breaking off from the crowds as they began to thin out and turned down one of the more residential streets.

It was a shortcut, well-lit, quiet, and with no place a would-be-stalker could hide between the closely built houses.

Even as she was telling herself this, the sharp sound of her phone going off in the silence still made her jump, fumbling to take it out of her back pocket. "Mom?" she said in to the receiver. "Sorry I didn't ca-"

Her mom's voice interrupted her. " _Kagome, you have to run! Now!"_

Kagome stopped walking. "What's-"

 _"Go where there's people! He's com-_ " The call cut out.

"Mom? Mom!"

Kagome pulled the phone away from her ear. A _Lost Call_ message flashed over the screen before the screen went black. She jammed the power button several times, knowing that the battery had still been half-charged not even ten minutes ago, but nothing happened. Unease trickled down her spine and she glanced around, suddenly hyper-alert of her surroundings. She hesitated, then, deciding caution won out over looking like a maniac, took off down the street. The dorms were less than two blocks away and on a busy street. If she could just get there and pass the key-coded entrances -

She was half-way down the street when the street lamp up ahead flickered once, twice, and went out completely. She slowed to a stop as the lights continued to go out in front of her. She turned, intending to backtrack to the main road, but the lamps behind her were going out too, the black-out followed the curve of the street and out of sight. Kagome stood unsure and with her heart in her throat when the light over her head didn't even flicker, a halo of light filtering over the sidewalk.

The feeling was back, leering at her from the sudden darkness.

It could just be a coincidence, the odd phone call, the strange power outage, the strange feeling of being watched merely a by-product of the new semester and too little sleep, all coalescing at once. She might even be able to laugh off this strange bout of paranoia later. But all she could hear was the blood pumping in her ears, _adrenaline_ , her mind supplied, and her stomach tightening to knots as she tried to distinguish one shadow from the next. She didn't think it was a coincidence. And she was sure there was someone out there, someone who was enjoying scaring her like this and who might enjoy hurting her even more.

A low masculine laugh sounded from the right and Kagome turned, staring in to the darkness with wide eyes. There was a general shape of a man - broad-shouldered, lean, tall. _Big_ , she thought, much bigger than her. She made to take a step back only to stop herself. She didn't want him to think that she was scared even if, she admitted to herself, that she was terrified. She struggled to keep her shoulders back and hands from shaking.

He stepped in to the lamp light, arms loose and held non-threateningly at his side. The man was attractive and well-dressed, dark hair falling around his shoulders and wearing old money and privilege like a second skin. He wasn't what she expect and Kagome wondered if she had gotten this all wrong for a moment. But, somehow, despite his pleasant expression and clean-cut appearance, he managed to look cruel.

"Miss Higurashi, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face," he said with a smile. "It wasn't very nice of you to make me wait for such a long time. I hope you're prepared to make it up to me."

Unbothered by her lack of response, the man slid his hands in to his slacks - a lazy and non-threatening gesture at first - while making a small, thoughtful sound while she remained silent and tense.

"The women from the Higurashi clan have always been remarkably exquisite and I see that you are no exception," he continued pleasantly, "before most of them died off, of course. I heard it was such a tragedy. A large and powerful clan like yours reduced to a single bloodline. I've never seen a Higurashi woman with blue eyes, however; perhaps it's from your mother's side."

"Are you the one who's been following me?" She demanded, trying not to let his words get to her. He smiled while talking about people dying and changed topics like it was no big deal, discussing how she looked like she was some pedigree pet. She wasn't even sure how he knew so much about her family, but she was more concerned with holding her ground and thinking of a way out of this. "Who are you?"

He arranged his features to appear surprised. "Do you not know who I am?"

She couldn't help it - she glared at him. "Do you think I would ask if I did?" She didn't owe this man anything, especially not politeness.

He didn't seem particularly bothered by it. In fact, he began to laugh. "So spirited. Your mother never told you, I see." He hummed, smiling, but it hardly seemed directed at her. "How odd. She may not be a Higurashi by blood, but she should know by now what she has married in to." He clucked his teeth in admonishment. Her annoyance flared more at the mention of her mother.

 _Why does he keep mentioning my family.._?

"You're crazy," she said, taking a quick step back. "And if you take one step closer, I'll scream."

He looked around them curiously, taking in the closely-spaced houses, but remained unbothered. He smirked. "It won't do you any good, but you are welcome to try."

Kagome cringed further away from him, eyes wide. Forget looking for the right opportunity.

He took a step forward and Kagome took one back. She was at the edge of what little light there was and, just as she made to turn and dash in to the darkness, away from this insane man who made her blood run cold, arms came around her from behind and dragged her into a muscled chest. Her heartbeat sky-rocketed and her mind blanked. She screamed, long and loud, and it echoed down the street. She didn't care; she was kicking and scratching like a wild thing, bucking against its' tight hold. Her teeth sank in to its' forearm and the man holding her wailed, the sound startling and inhuman. Kagome jerked her head to the side and felt her world stop as her eyes landed on the beastly form behind her. It was huge with purple skin stretched thin over bulging muscles. Glowing bulbous red eyes glaring at her while it's horse-like muzzle pulled back in a snarl, revealing sharp and jagged yellow teeth and saliva dripping down its chin.

 _It wasn't human_.

Her heart froze in chest and her mind blanked in terror. Kagome was shaking, staring at the thing then back to the man, and breathing so quickly she could feel herself getting light-headed. They weren't human.

 _They weren't human._

The dark-haired man followed them in to the shadows, his red eyes becoming more pronounced. "Please don't be difficult, Miss Higurashi," he said, "don't you agree it would be better to not drag anymore innocent people in to your family's mess?" His voice was soothing, but it was threaded with false security and very real threats. Kagome shook her head. No. _No_. _This wasn't possible._

For a moment, Kagome wished she had asked Sango to stay with her after all, as if that would have deterred these _things_ somehow. At his words though, it felt like ice water was being dumped over her and with it came the calm she desperately needed to maybe, possibly, make it out of this situation.

These creatures, whatever they may be, wouldn't have stopped for anything - They would have chose another time or, worse, they would have involved her friend. Kagome wouldn't let that happen, she would rather die than see anyone she loved hurt or killed because of her. At least if she fought them here, if she died here, that would be better than killed slowly or never being found...

Kagome flinched as the red-eyed man brushed his cold thumb along her cheek, smirking down at her and taking his time perusing her face. "Such a shame that Higurashis always insist on following the accepted path instead of making their own. They have been blinded by their sense of what is right without examining why what is presumably wrong is self-serving and intolerable. Ambition is a trait you seem to have in spades, _Ka-go-me_. I've seen your transcripts, your list of recommendations and achievements. Surely you are not as blinded by righteousness as your ancestors?"

"Stay the hell away from me," she breathed, making herself loud, forcing her nerves outwards instead of sinking into herself in fear like she wanted to, and shifted back, weight centered and, in what little room she had to work with, shoving a fist in to her pocket. The key was still there. She withdrew her hand and, in a quick downward motion, stabbed her keys deep into one thick thigh and in to the artery that ran along the inside of it, then yanked upwards as far the awkward angle of her arm allowed. Hot blood spurted across her clothes and gushed over her fist, making it hard to hold on to the metal as the creature thrashed with a terrible screech, its weight giving out and taking Kagome with it. The air went out of her on impact and she wheezed, leaving her keys, and rolling away from the beast who, realizing its' mistake, clawed after her with one hand while the other clutched tightly at its' thigh. She struggled to her feet and stumbled away from the dark haired man who was _laughing,_ arms crossed over his stomach, and watching her hungrily.

"Oh, how exciting you are turning out to be. Much better than the last one." He purred, stepping closer. Kagome limped back, blood-slicked hands clutched her aching side and breath coming in quick pants. The... _thing_ had squeezed hard and each breath shot needles of pain through her chest. She had dropped her phone when the beast had grabbed her and now she didn't even have anything to protect herself with.

"Tell me, do you know what I love most about Higurashi women?"

He moved quickly and, for a moment, Kagome lost sight of him. Something struck her, hard, and Kagome skidded in to the ground, rolling and clutching at her stomach with a cry as his shadow grew large over her. She shuddered, terror clamoring over every last of her senses as he knelt at her side, pushing her on to her back and she stared up at him through blurry eyes as he wrapped one, long-fingered hand around her throat. The pinpricks of his sharp nails dragged over her fluttering pulse and utter terror shuddered through her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. The pressure of his hold increased, cutting off her air supply in a sudden tight grip. She gripped at his wrist with both hands, trying to pull him away, her fingernails drawing blood and she raked them over and over again across his forearm. He only laughed, squeezing the life out of her with one hand while the other was tenderly brushing the hair from her forehead.

"They fight even when they know they cannot win. Up until their very last breath, there's always fingernails buried in my skin and fire in their eyes and whatever weak manifestation of their power stutters forth. Always so stubborn. It's a shame we're on a schedule, Higurashi, I would have liked to take my time slowly breaking you and those blue eyes apart. Though, I suppose, we might have enough time for a little indulgence."

Kagome was scared, feeling light-headed and her throat burning and aching as she tried to take in air. She could barely register what he was saying, could barely register the face looming over hers or the press of something against her nose and lips. She squeezed her eyes close again, trying to work as much air in to lungs as she could, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was coming in. _Not like this._ Her internal voice was getting louder, frantic, hysterical. _Not like this_!

Warmth was flooding over her and she wasn't sure if it was the lack of oxygen, though warmth was not one of the symptoms of suffocation, some distant, clinical part of her knew, but it was comforting and powerful and overwhelming all at once. She welcomed it, feeling it enliven the tips of her numb fingers and numb lips, and it was only growing stronger. It burned at her skin.

Kagome wanted to shout, to cry, but her mouth wasn't cooperating. The warmth became fire, surging through her, and overcoming her like a firestorm. Kagome's mouth fell open in silent agony as it burned through her, outwards, scorching everything it touched and all she saw was blue fire consuming the darkness of the night, the vacuum of the inferno stealing all sounds and then in to nothing at all.

* * *

 **A/N:** I was inspired to pick up this story again after a trip to Fukuoka earlier this month. Our bus happened to pass by an abandoned-looking shrine surrounded by mist and dense woods that it instantly took me back to this story I began to write (but never finished) three years ago and I decided it was one that I'd really like to see through to the end. The first few chapters are very Kagome-centric as she discovers this whole other world wrapped up in her own - But no worries! Our favorite fox will make his appearance somewhere around the 3rd or 4th chapter and it'll be pretty hard to get rid of him after that, haha.

Also, I'm in need of a beta! You know, if anyone wants to volunteer haha.

Please let me know what you think.^^

 **Disclaimer:** _(Most of) these characters belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi._


	2. Chapter 2

_KEEPER OF THE SHRINE_

 _02\. THE HIGURASHI CURSE_

Kagome woke with a sharp, choked breath. She coughed, air rattling painfully around her chest, eyes squeezing tightly shut before slowly fluttered open. She had to blink a few times to make sense of the stretch of broken pavement in front of her and the sharp gravel digging in her cheek and the dull headache throbbing behind both eyes. There was sharp, familiar sound coming from nearby. The heat had gone from the air, a wash of blue flames replaced by the fuzzy glow of street lamps dotting a pale path in to the darkness. There was something there, too - something churning beneath her skin, restless, _itching_ , drawing her further in to the waking world.

The ringing stopped for a moment, then started again.

Kagome whimpered, closing her eyes against the sharp stab of music and wishing she could slip back in the darkness that had blocked out all her senses moments before but she couldn't force herself back. _No_ , she thought, heart skipping and speeding up, _not when_...

Her eyes slid open again and she tried looking around for her attackers. The sudden movement made her head spin so, letting out a shaky breath, she focused on getting her arms under her first and pushed herself in to a sitting position, movements slow and painful until she could finally take in the quiet suburban street with wide eyes. The blacktop around her was broken and melted into great chunks for several meters all around and, in growing disbelief, she realized she sat at the epicenter of what looked like an explosion.

The ringing continued, a bright pop song her little brother insisted should be programmed for the house line. She flinched and turned towards it. The glowing screen of her phone was a few paces away.

And there, next to her phone, was an odd wooden doll.

She half-crawled, half-fell across the chunks of broken asphalt and picked up her phone just as it went to voicemail. It was charged and had perfect reception, unlike before, and Kagome didn't even know where to start trying to make sense of what had happened. It _had_ to have happened, the proof was all around her, but no one had come to investigate what must have been a loud enough explosion to cause so much damage, nor when she had screamed, nor when the... the purple-skinned _thing_ had been stabbed and wailed loud enough to wake the dead. Or _when the the man with red eyes laughed_ , she thought, and couldn't repress the shudder of fear as her hand went to her aching neck. She couldn't even begin to think about that just yet.

Her gaze automatically fell to the doll. It was long and narrow, made of dry-looking wood. It had a plain, vaguely featured face and thin column as its' chest, a hollowed place in the middle that resembled the head of a needle - A long strand of black hair was wrapped around and through it several times. It had cracked down the middle. What ever it was, she knew it was related to her strange attackers. She could _feel_ it, her hands shying away from the dark object and feeling a faint repulsion from it, like weak magnets pressing against one another. As her fingertips skimmed the surface, preparing to pick it up, it was as if striking a match. Blue fire ignited and leapt from her fingertips. She yanked back, but the small inferno continued with pops and crackles, a wisp of something too dark to be smoke escaping from the doll until the fire burned out a few moments later, leaving nothing but ash. Kagome swallowed, cradling her shaking hands to her chest.

She looked around, hoping no one else had seen.

The phone screen lit up again with a sharp jab of music and Kagome barely stopped herself from screaming and it was another moment before she could control her shaking hands long enough to accept the call. "M-Mom?" She croaked.

 _"Kagome?! Are you alright?_ " Her mom's panicked voice came through the receiver. Kagome closed her eyes against the tell-tale burning at the back of them.

"Mom," she said again, not sure what she wanted to say, just that she wanted to say something, that she wanted to stay on the phone and keep hearing her mother's voice and confirm that all was right, that her world hadn't been completely turned upside down, but that that was all she was capable of saying. She was too relieved. Too shaken. Her mom fell silent.

" _Oh, Kagome,_ " She called softly, her voice cracking. " _This is my fault. I should have told you sooner. We should have prepared... I just... I had hoped that- I should have known it wouldn't have been enough. Your grandfather warned us, and even after..."_ Her mother's voice caught and there were several long moments of silence and Kagome tried to get a hold of herself. She wasn't safe yet, not nearly enough to feel comfortable thinking about what had almost had happened - what _had_ happened - but she couldn't make her legs or her mouth listen to reason just yet.

 _"How did you..."_

Her mother sniffled. _"Your necklace, dear._ _It's a Higurashi heirloom. Our stones turn black and hot when you are in danger._ "

"What color is it now?" She whispered.

Her mother's normally kind voice was strained and commanding despite its softness. _"Kagome, you have to go."_ Her non-answer was answer enough, and Kagome closed her eyes against the painful lurch in her chest. _"Go to your dormitory and take as much as you can carry and leave as soon as you can. Don't talk to anyone. You need to go to your grandfather's shrine. Tonight. It's the only place you'll be safe. There are spells there that will keep Naraku out."_

"Spells..? Mom, what is the world just happened? That- That- He just tried to...!"

" _Naraku_ ," her mom interrupted softly. " _He was a half demon, Kagome. He's been feuding with your father's side of the family for centuries. He will not stop until he gets what he's after, Kagome, and right now that's you - and you have to understand that he will use any means necessary to achieve his ends. You must act first._ "

"Demons aren't real. They're just myths! And if you know who he is, then why haven't you called the police?" Kagome could hear herself denying it and tipping dangerously close to accusing her mom of things that she knew weren't really her fault. She didn't have a better explanation for the beast that had grabbed her or the intensely more terrifying one who wore the shape of man. She let out a shuddering breath and asked in a quieter voice, "Why me?"

There was a pause. And then, _"Not you. The jewel."_

" **What** jewel?"

" _Go to the shrine_ ," her mother commanded once more. " _There's only so much that I know, so much that I didn't_ want _to know about the Higurashi Curse after your father's accident. But the shrine will have all the information that you could possibly need and it'll keep your safe as long as you remain on the grounds. You must go there. Tonight."_

* * *

"Kagome, what in the world..?"

As her roommate pushed open the door to their shared dormitory, Kagome glanced up but did not pause, continuing to shove clothes all the way to the bottom of her backpack before going to the dresser for more. Damp hair curled around her shoulders, making her shirt wet, but she hardly noticed it in her panic. "Kagome, stop. Stop," Sango said more firmly, cool hands coming around her biceps and pulling her to the side. "Kagome, look at me. What's wrong? What happened?"

Sango looked scared and concerned, her eyes wide and brows drawn upward. Her long, brown hair fell around her shoulders, out of it's usual, no-nonsense ponytail, and she smelled like cologne - Miroku's cologne. Normally Kagome would have instantly pounced on her best friend and teasingly demanding details about her 'it's not a date' date with Miroku, which would be vehemently denied. But now she only felt like crumpling under her friend's hands, her lip already giving a tell-tale tremble. She didn't want to put Sango in danger. She didn't want _him_ to come after her, too. She looked away, swallowing around the lump in her throat.

"Family emergency," Kagome lied. Sango saw right through her, eyes zeroing in on the obvious bruising around her throat.

"I'll kill him," Sango hissed. "Whoever he is, I'm going to find him and I'm going to cut off his goddamn balls. Tell me what happened," she demanded, arms going around her friend. Kagome resisted for a moment, but it was too much as her throat tightened and her eyes burned.

"He did something," she choked out. "He... they weren't..." She couldn't make herself make sense, so she gave up. Sango made soothing noises, petting the back of her hair and rubbing her back until the sobbing subsided to deep, hiccuping breaths.

"Shh, Shh. It's okay now, Kags, I'm here. Hey," she said, pulling away and keeping contact by holding her shoulders. Sango looked like she wanted to cry, too. "What happened? Should I call the police?"

Kagome shook her head. "You can't," she whispered. At the stormy expression that came over her best friend's face and feeling the impending lecture about the importance of filing with the police, she wiped at her wet face and continued, "They won't believe it. _I_ don't even believe it.."

"And why wouldn't they believe you?" She asked tightly, on the edge of a temper.

Kagome didn't know how to explain, but her gaze instantly lowered to her hands, turning them over to stare at her palms where the blue fire had raged, burning outwards in to the doll and destroying it. They were harmless now, soft from lotion and the small scrapes on her palms covered with cutesy yellow and blue kids' bandaids. "Because," she whispered, unsure, "I don't think that they weren't human."

There was a small stretch of silence and Kagome avoided her friend's gaze. Then, "I'm calling Miroku."

* * *

Kagome _felt_ Miroku before his knock came at the door, pushing it open and peering inside with concern. "I came as soon as I could, is she-" he said, looking first to Sango before his voice trailed off and he openly stared at Kagome. "Whoa."

She was staring, too. There was a deep purple-blue glow emanating her friend and it was _moving_ around him in lazy waves, as if following the expansion of his lungs with each exhale and inhale - it looked alive, and she didn't know if it was safe.

"Miroku," she said, brows drawing together and half-rising from the edge of Sango's bed, "you-" She didn't know how to explain it, so she let the silent question hang in the air instead. He nodded, mechanically closing the door behind him as he moved in to the room.

"You too."

Kagome looked down at herself. She couldn't see any lights around herself like she could see around him. "Me too?"

Sango glanced between them, confused by the halved conversation and crossing her arms grumpily. "Mind explaining things to the _only_ person in the room who doesn't have spiritual powers?"

Miroku blinked, as if snapping back to reality, turning towards his almost-girlfriend with an endearing grin. "Sango, my dear, I apologize," he said, glancing at Kagome. "How much does she know?"

Sango hesitated and simply said, "not enough. It was a demon, but I don't really know where to start explaining."

"Well, I'm always available to lend a helping hand."

Sango gave him a dirty look, looking ready to lay in to him for ignoring the gravity of the situation and making a subtle sex joke of all things. Miroku held up his hands in mock surrender, laughing, as he crouched in front of Kagome. He sent her a quick, reassuring smile before his gaze roved above her head and further still, tracking invisible patterns in the air with his eyes slightly unfocused. "You have an astounding aura, Kagome," he murmured, his voice low and distracted, "impossibly bright and very powerful."

"What does that mean?" Kagome asked. Sango had barely begun explaining things, just enough to confirm that demons were real and some humans knew about it, that Sango's family had been in the business of demon extermination for centuries, and she was feeling decidedly raw and vulnerable. Her friends were acting calm and normal, like this wasn't the first time they've been in this situation. These were her best friends and, despite knowing both of them for years and opening her entire life up to them, Kagome was beginning to realize how much she didn't know about them. "Did I not have an aura before?"

He blinked, coming back to his senses once more and sat back on his heels. "You did, but as an average human," he explained. His mouth twisted to one side in thought. "Repressed. Though I don't know by whom. Now that it's out, there's no putting it back in. Anyone with a sixth sense will know what you are."

Kagome fisted her hands against her jean-clad things, biting her lip against the question she was afraid to know the answer to but needed to ask. "What am I, Miroku?"

He shrugged. "Best guess? A priestess, and not just any run of the mill one either. You have the biggest aura I've ever seen for someone untrained."

She started, slowly shaking her head. "That's crazy. Priestesses who can cast spells and purify demons are just -"

".. Just myths? Tell me, what happened out there?" He interrupted her and she would have been annoyed with him doing that, again, but his keen, serious expression prevented her. "Whatever attacked you wasn't human, and demons are just legends as well."

"Is that what they were?" Her mother had said the same thing, _half-demon_ , as had Sango, but she needed all the confirmation that she could get it. "Demons?"

He nodded grimly. "I'd bet on it. Rouges usually pick off spiritually aware beings as soon as they show up in the register, the only ones without protection. The same happened with me. Though, how they managed to find you before your powers showed themselves - and likely never would have awakened themselves if you hadn't been attacked - is a damn good question."

"You said that rarely happens nowadays," Sango accused, plopping down on the bed next to Kagome. Her hands curled around the edges of the bed in to fists. "You were attacked?"

Miroku patted Sango's knee comfortingly. "I have protection now, I didn't then," he held up his hand, palm out where two deep, white criss-crossing scars showed. "Remember when I told you I got these from a feral cat when I was a kid? Well, I may have possibly glazed over a few details." He grinned toward Kagome, trying to lighten their mood. "A cat demon, more like, out for the blood after being unfortunately swindled out of some money for some false exorcisms of her real estate properties. She settled for the swindler's son."

"Why did you lie?" Sango's expression was somewhere between thunderous and hurt. "You could have been killed!"

"I am more than capable of protecting myself, Sango," he chided her with a gentle smile. "And I underplayed it - most people wouldn't accept the truth without thinking that I was crazy unless they too had a supernatural experience to think off, such as now. And that was also before I realized you were one of the infamous _Sato_ demons slayers." Then, his smile quickly grew in a familiar teasing grin. "Though your concern for my well-being is noted."

Sango's cheeks turned pink. Kagome bit down on a grin, thankful for the familiar and distracting banter. _Still so smooth, even at a time like this_. Miroku's smile widened and his hands reached for his almost-girlfriend. Sango slapped them away. Sango's shoulder bumped hers, shooting her a pseudo-look of betrayal for giving the monk an opening.

It felt surreal, sitting here joking when the scariest experience of her life had happened a little more than a hour ago. She wasn't sure what this all meant for her; she doubted things would return to normal after this. If Miroku could see her ... _aura_ so clearly, and if demons hunted those with auras like hers, that means everything had been turned on its head in just a couple of hours. She didn't have time to wallow about her situation, that much was clear; she had herself and the people around her to consider. There was small stretch of silence. Kagome took a deep breath. "How do I apply for protection?"

Miroku sighed, shifting in to a more comfortable position on the floor in front of them. "Now that depends on many things. The demons who offer people like us protection are secretive and hard to get ahold of, and rightly so. It is a dangerous occupation and often a thankless one, even if having a spiritual being on the payroll is exceedingly convenient. They must be immensely strong and capable to fight off the rogue demons that are out for the monk's or priestess' blood. There's the whole mess of spirit world and demon world that I'll explain later, but for now all you need to know is I'll contact my guardians and try to get you an appointment."

"What else?" she said, biting her lip. 'Spirit world' and 'demon world' bounced around her head for a few moments, making her feel small and ignorant that there were whole other worlds she didn't know about.

At this, Miroku rubbed the back of his neck and refused to meet her gaze. "The other thing depends on who attacked you. Sango didn't explain everything on the phone with me earlier but, from the details I gleaned, I can say with some confidence that your attacker is as strong as he is dangerous. Demons who have a humanoid form usually are. The fact that he also produced a golem -"

"Golem?" She interrupted. "What's that?"

"The dark object you spoke of, shaped like a doll with hair tied through it," he explained, frowning, "it is a complicated bit of spellwork, that, and immensely dark. The hair gives the doll its' shape, creating a a perfect imitation of the spellcaster - his size, his features, even his scent and energy signature. Demons use golems as a replacement when battling or assessing a much stronger opponent and while a golem may injure an opponent, the opponent can not physically harm the originator through his or her golem. They have been out of fashion for several centuries and are completely illegal under the inter-world treatise. That makes me think that this demon is old - at least three hundred, if not more. And tacky."

Kagome smiled, if only in acknowledgement of his attempt to cheer her up. She thought back to the encounter, pushing down the fear that accompanied it and the instinctive tightening of her muscles, and forced herself to look at it rationally and recall any details that might be important. "He said he didn't want to kill me," she said at last, lips tugged to the side in thought, "he said that he knew my family and my mom knew him by name, and told me 'what he likes most about Higurashi women.'"

"That _is_ worrisome," Miroku agreed. "What else did he say?"

"He kept talking about my potential/powers, which I understand now. He must mean all of this," she said, gesturing to the area around her head where Miroku had been looking earlier and she assumed her 'aura' was. "But what use does a demon have for powers that can't be controlled, or can easily kill him? If he hadn't been using that 'golem' thing, I would've completely smoked him tonight," she said angrily before her glare softened with undertones of worry and her voice was weak when she spoke. "Now he's still out there."

Sango put her arms around her shoulders and she gratefully leaned in to the comforting gesture.

Miroku drummed his fingers against his knees, looking conflicted, before he let out a long sigh. "Kagome, I don't mean to scare you," he began, serious, "but this demon knows who you are. He knows where you live, where you work, probably knows your schedule. It's just a matter of time before he comes for you again and he has plenty of time and opportunities to do so. You are near defenseless.

"But," he said, holding up his hand just as Sango opened her mouth to scold him for being so hard on her. Kagome winced, but she already had an idea where this was going. Her mother had said as much. "He's weakened now. I'll bet anything that he was nearby when your powers awakened, manipulating the situation from the shadows, and he's probably weak and regrouping at the moment. If you are to do anything, the time to do it is now. "

"What are you suggesting?" Kagome asked, straightening her shoulders and forcing herself to be brave, stuffing all of the bad emotions from tonight - the terror, the fear, the anger - in to to a bag and shoving it deep inside of her. Now wasn't the time. She could break down later, she could think of all of the implications of this later. For now, she had to act decisively and with a clear head.

"Hide," he said seriously. "Lie low until I can get a hold of someone willing to grant you protection and go somewhere he can't find you - someplace he would have no idea to look."

"Mom said the same thing," Kagome said. "she's knows about all this. She told me that there are protections set up at our ancestral shrine that could keep this demon out. My father came from a long line of Shinto priests and priestesses," she explained, pieces falling in to place as she spoke. "Maybe that's why I'm the way I am."

"Power and potential are in your blood."

"Don't make it sound so dramatic. This isn't a movie, Miroku," she protested weakly, but she knew he wasn't joking. He only shook his head.

"No, it's not," he agreed solemnly. "What do you want to do, Kagome?"

 _What a loaded question._

She didn't think about what she honestly wanted to do because it would serve no purpose. It was about what she must do if she wanted to make it out of this situation. The shrine was located in Kyushu and it would take at least eight hours to get there by train or bus. She didn't really have any memories of the shrine, vague snatches of dense forests, sunshine, laughter, and the way her father and grandfather had exchanged looks when she had mentioned her imaginary friend. She hadn't been back since her father had died, had barely talked with her grandfather after he and her mother had a falling out when Souta was just a baby.

It wasn't perfect - It was secluded in the mountain and, if _Naraku_ found her, there would be no one around to help. But even on a public street in the middle of Tokyo there was no one to help either, she reminded herself. At least this way there would be no innocent bystanders or casualties. And there were the spells her mother had mentioned, too, and the promise of answers - that decided it more than anything.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts, realizing her friends were watching her. She met their gazes, and nodded firmly. "The shrine."

Miroku help up his hand once more. "Don't tell us. If the demon comes looking for answers, I can't promise we can keep your secrets."

Kagome shot up in alarm. "Do you think he'll come after you?" she asked, voice cracking.

"Calm down, Kagome," Sango said, tugging her back down to sit on the bed. "Look," she said, firmly meeting her friends gaze and trying to smile, both grim and determined. "We've been friends since middle school and I love you like a sister - I would do just about anything in the world for you if it meant you were safe and happy. This is one of those things. If anything happens, I will die to protect you, do you understand? If something happens to me but it keeps you safe, I will do it. Don't forget that."

Kagome smiled at her friend, tears building behind her eyes once more and hugged her. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me," she whispered.

"We'll take our chances," Miroku assured with a wink, patting her knee. "Now, let's see about getting you some money and a ticket out of here."

* * *

A/N: Hello again! I originally planned to update this story a couple days ago but it's been a crazy weekend. Also, **seriously** people - never ever drive drunk or even tipsy. I was nearly killed at a crosswalk the other night if my husband hadn't pulled me back. Now he's in a cast and we've been dealing with the police all weekend.

That said, thank you for everyone who took the time to write a review! I was so happy to receive each and every one of them! I won't be able to update for at least two weeks because of work-related appointments, but if you have any questions or comments I'd be pleased to reply.^^

Cheers! Until the next time!


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